316 [Assembly 



Osier is the name given to various species of willow, chiefly 

 employed in basket-making. The narrows-leaved willows gene- 

 rally come under the denomination of osiers. It is cultivated for 

 white basket work, producing shoots from six to nine feet long, 

 pliant and tough, even w^hen stripped of the bark, and very 

 durable. 



Osiers differ from other willows in their long, straight, flexible 

 and tough sprouts. They are divided into two classes; the first 

 is known by their blunt anH downy or mealy leaves, w^hich in 

 others are pointed, smooth and green leaves, resembling the myrtle. 

 The common osier is one of the most abundant species. The sprouts 

 are straight, erect, round, very long and slender, polished, and 

 downy, when young, with fine silky hairs ; leaves on short foot- 

 stalks, almost upright, about a span long, and half an inch wide. 

 Many species of willows are found bordering our rivers, creeks 

 and swamps, the greater part of w^hich are brashy, tender and 

 brittle, and are susceptible of no useful purposes. 



Osier willows are worthy a place on every farm, because they 

 take up but little room, and flourish best on ground of little 

 value for general cultivation; require very little care after the 

 second or third year, and furnish the best materials for baskets, 

 which are indispensable on every farm. It is a matter of aston- 

 ishment, when such quantities of articles of this description are 

 annually imported, that Americans, proverbial for their industry, 

 zeal and independent spirit, should have thus long neglected to 

 form plantations fully adequate for all the wants of our country. 



From the best information we can obtain, there are from four 

 to five millions of dollars worth of willow^s annually imported 

 into this country from France and Germany ; the price ranging 

 from §100 to $130 per ton weight. In view of this importation 

 and the large sums expended for willow, would it not be well 

 for some of our farmers to give a little attention to this subject? 

 There are thousands of acres of land in this country, which, in 

 their present state are entirely useless, yielding little or nothing 

 to the owners, which might be planted with willows, and w^ould 

 yield an immense profit. From my own limited experience, I 

 am fully convinced that willow^s may be grown profitably in this 

 country for less than fifty dollars per ton w^eight. 



